HISPANIC EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUPS

The HACR Research Institute’s first Hispanic Employee Resource Group (ERG) Study, funded by AARP and launched in late 2012, was created to benchmark Hispanic ERGs and ascertain what’s driving their growth, highlight best practices, and identify current and future challenges.

Two dozen Fortune 500 companies participated in the Institute’s groundbreaking study which captures insights from Human Resources (HR) departments, ERG members and leaders, as well as their executive sponsors and champions. Only HACR Corporate Members were eligible to participate and a list of participating companies is included in the report.

The two part study consisted of an online survey instrument completed by a company representative between December 2012 and January 2013. The Institute conducted focus groups and interviews with ERG members, their leaders, and executive sponsors and champions between February 2013 and July 2013.

HACR EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUP STUDY

Key Findings:

Participation by Hispanic employees in Hispanic ERGs was more than three times the national average participation rate in employee resource groups generally.

54 percent of survey participants indicated their Hispanic ERGs had 500 or more members.

79 percent expect their Hispanic ERG to grow even more in the next 24 months.

Despite the growth of Hispanic ERGs, only one third had seen an increase in their annual budget and nearly 10 percent had experienced a decline in funding.

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HACR

Cid Wilson

President & CEO

Cid Wilson was named President & Chief Executive Officer of the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR) in July 2014. Wilson brings more than 20 years of corporate finance and Wall Street equity research experience. He manages a staff of talented and dedicated professionals and works closely with corporate board members, Hispanic organizations, and corporate partners around the country, to increase the representation of Hispanics at all levels in Corporate America. Additionally, Wilson directs programs and initiatives aimed at encouraging Fortune 500 companies to include Hispanics in the areas of employment, procurement, philanthropy, and governance.

As the public face of the organization, Wilson promotes HACR through speaking engagements, traditional media sources, and outreach to organizations and employee resource groups who share HACR’s mission. His ease in communicating within the C-level suite of major U.S. corporations presents a unique advantage in creating new partnerships, as well as strengthening relationships with existing corporate members.

Wilson has been featured and quoted in numerous publications and by news media, including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times, and Bloomberg TV. In February 2004, he was on the cover of Black Enterprise Magazine; in March 2017, he was featured in MONEY Magazine; and most recently, he shared the cover of LATINO Magazine with the Chairman and CEO of General Motors Company, Mary Barra.

In September 2009, President Barack Obama appointed Wilson to the National Museum of the American Latino Study Commission that proposed to the President and Congress construction of a new Smithsonian Museum on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. He was named board chair of the Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino in 2012 and continues to lead advocacy efforts aimed at sustaining Congressional support for the museum’s completion.

Graduating from The Ohio State University with a degree in economics, Wilson launched his career in 1993 and was steadily promoted from the mailroom to the executive suite, earning national recognition as the #1 Specialty Retail Analyst by Forbes in 2006. His leadership in the corporate sector also included previous service on the Ethnic Advisory Board for PepsiCo, Inc., and the Consumer Advisory Board for Verizon Communications.

A proud Dominican American, with Bergen County, NJ roots, his interest in serving the community has been exemplified through board membership with leading minority advocacy groups, including LatinoJustice PRLDEF (formerly the Puerto Rican Legal Defense & Education Fund), the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and Dominicans on Wall Street. He is the former national president of the Dominican American National Roundtable (DANR), former vice chairman of the board of trustees for Bergen Community College, a former trustee ambassador to the New Jersey Council of County Colleges, a former member of the Association of Community College Trustees’ (ACCT) National Board of Directors, and a Gold Life Member of the NAACP.

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Dr. Lisette M. Garcia

Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Dr. Lisette Garcia is the Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR). In this role, Dr. Garcia is responsible for the ongoing operations of the organization as well as the functionality of its research, programs, and initiatives to drive sustainable growth.

Dr. Garcia joined the HACR team in September 2012, as Director of the HACR Research Institute to revitalize and develop a strategic plan and roadmap for the Research Institute. In addition to overseeing the HACR Corporate Inclusion Index (CII), Dr. Garcia takes the lead in facilitating the organization’s investigative projects and developing new programs and research studies aimed at strengthening HACR’s reputation as the key source for information on Hispanic inclusion in Corporate America.

A trained researcher with a Ph.D. in sociology from The Ohio State University, Dr. Garcia has dedicated her career to exploring educational and employment issues within the realm of corporate social responsibility, discrimination, and diversity and inclusion. She has published several articles on employment discrimination and Latino educational attainment in scholarly journals.

As the former Study Director for the Women of Color Policy Network at New York University, she used her statistical knowledge and techniques to design survey tools, supervise various research projects, co-author research reports, and present findings at professional meetings and conferences nationwide.

Dr. Garcia’s employment and research experience is deeply rooted in higher education. Immediately prior to joining HACR, she was a faculty member at George Mason University; she has also taught at New York University, Montclair State University, and Ohio State.

An active member of Sigma Lambda Upsilon/Señoritas Latinas Unidas Sorority, Inc., she held a seat on the national leadership team and represented the organization through service on the board of the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO). Additionally, she has served as a mentor for young women through the sorority’s LADYS program and participated in numerous community service projects with Alumni chapters in New Jersey and Virginia, focusing on the organization’s national initiative to promote literacy in the Latino community.

In addition to her doctoral degree, Dr. Garcia holds a master’s degree in sociology from Virginia Tech and dual undergraduate degrees from Penn State in sociology and labor and industrial relations. She is a proud recipient of the NCID Exemplary Diversity Scholar Citation for her contributions in diversity-related research, practice, and teaching.

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Elia Quintana

Vice President of Corporate Relations

Elia Quintana is the Vice President of Corporate Relations of the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR). Quintana is responsible for the development and management of key relationships with Fortune 500, Corporate Members, and corporate leaders to strengthen and advance HACR’s overall mission. Since joining HACR as Director of Corporate Development in October 2015, she has successfully developed new strategies to expand the organization’s programs, initiatives, and research.

Prior to joining HACR, Quintana served as a director and member of the national executive team at the LULAC National Educational Service Centers (LNESC). In that capacity, she worked closely with a wide-range of stakeholders including corporations, federal agencies, and community partners to deliver valuable educational programs to young Latino students in underserved communities. Quintana is no stranger to championing diversity initiatives and is consummately experienced in recruitment, retention, career readiness training, and educational programming for minority students.

Quintana has over a decade of corporate experience in sales and marketing with companies including Time Warner Cable, Avon Products, Beazer Homes, and prominent national television networks.

She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara in political science and latin American history and an MBA from the University of California, Riverside. Additionally, she studied abroad extensively in numerous countries including Costa Rica, Spain, Italy, Mexico, and China where she developed a greater aptitude for international corporate operations, marketing strategy, market management and negotiations, and international markets for some of the most globally competitive corporations.

When she is not promoting the inclusion of Latinos in the workforce, she volunteers her time empowering Spanish-dominate adults by teaching them English and mentoring young Latinx.

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Vanessa Bowling

Manager of Operations

Vanessa Bowling Ajavon is the Manager of Operations of the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR). She joined the HACR team as the Executive and Operations Assistant to the President and CEO in October 2014 and was promoted to her current position in April 2017.

Bowling Ajavon assists the Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and prior to joining HACR, Bowling Ajavon was the Office Manager and Executive Assistant for Equality Maryland. While there, she honed her skills in event planning, graphic design, and developing marketing and advertising materials.

Bowling Ajavon holds a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications from Morgan State University, and a master’s degree in publications design from the University of Baltimore.

Prior to joining HACR, Vanessa was the Office Manager and Executive Assistant for Equality Maryland. While there, she honed her skills in event planning, graphic design and developing marketing and advertising materials; all valuable skills for helping to plan and execute HACR’s Annual Symposium, and other meetings and events.

A 2010 graduate of Morgan State University with a B.S. in Telecommunications, Vanessa discovered her love for publication and design. She is currently enrolled in the University of Baltimore’s masters program in publications design with an anticipated graduation date of May 2015.

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Eric Lopez

Senior Manager of Research

Eric Lopez is the Senior Manager of Research of the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR). Lopez is responsible for analyzing and collecting data from HACR Corporate Members and other Fortune 500 companies to understand where improvements need to occur to help advance the inclusion of Hispanics in Corporate America. Through his work, Lopez supports HACR’s broader research efforts to ensure corporate responsibility among Fortune 500 companies in the areas of Employment, Procurement, Philanthropy, and Governance.

Lopez joined the HACR team in March 2015, as Manager of Research. In this capacity, Lopez managed the HACR research databases, analyzed relevant trends in academic research, and collected raw data from the HACR Corporate Inclusion Index (CII) to develop Hispanic inclusion best practices.

Prior to working at HACR, Lopez was the CEO and Founder of GlobeServe Consulting where he managed the analytical, fundraising, and event needs for nonprofit and profit organizations in the Washington D.C. area.

For several years, he has utilized his research and communication skills to help propel the missions and work of such nationally recognized organizations like the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), and the Equal Rights Center (ERC).

Lopez received both his bachelor’s degree in philosophy, history, and psychology and his master’s degree in applied social science and policy analysis from Hofstra University in New York. He is also a recipient of a prestigious Fulbright research grant which was awarded to him in 2008 to study the discrimination of the Roma in Hungary.

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Briana Wright

Graphic Designer

Briana Wright joined the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR) in August 2016 as the Graphic Designer. In this capacity, Wright creates visual concepts to communicate ideas that motivate, inform, and attract HACR’s internal and external stakeholders.

Before joining HACR, Wright worked as a freelancer in the corporate and nonprofit sectors, including M.O. Marketing and Event Solutions, and Maria Luisa de Moreno International Fund. Most recently, she worked with 123rf.com, where she designed templates for a variety of purposes, logos for commercial use, and edited content for print and web.

Wright received her bachelor’s degree in fine arts and graphic design from The Art Institute of Washington in Rosslyn, Va. in 2013.

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Alida Minkel

HACR Corporate Development Associate

Alida Minkel joined the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR) team as Corporate Development Associate in October 2017. In this capacity, Minkel works very closely with the HACR Vice President of Corporate Relations to create and implement strategies to meet fundraising goals including high membership renewal rates, aggressive prospecting, and new revenue streams.

She is also responsible for managing relationships with prospective and existing donors, developing appropriate cultivation strategies for prospects, drafting and editing fundraising materials, and analyzing members giving history and potential.

Prior to joining HACR, Minkel was the Development Associate at Community Impact where she secured financial support from individuals, foundations, and corporations through the development of new and existing relationships. Furthermore, she sought multiple funding opportunities that aligned with the organization’s mission and impact.

Minkel started her career in the retail industry as a Visual Merchandiser for Forever21. Her merchandising experience continued at global companies including Bath & Body Works and Urban Outfitters.

She also played an integral role in leading President Obama’s grassroots organization. She assisted in the planning, coordination, and direction of various community events and trainings, as well as scheduling and planning volunteer shifts to execute a successful “Get Out the Vote” operation in Southwest Bucks County, a crucial area of turnout goals in the battleground state of Pennsylvania.

Before receiving her dual degrees in political science and psychology from Columbia University, Minkel gained extensive experience in managing and performing thorough and proactive business analysis, successfully maximizing sales through the development of creative solutions, and analyzing critical regional security issues through primary source analysis.

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Ileana Ruiz

Administrative Assistant

Ileana Ruiz joined the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR) team in November 2017 as Administrative Assistant to the President and CEO. In this position, Ruiz serves as the primary contact for external stakeholders and provides technical and logistical support for multiple projects including meetings, travel itineraries, speaking engagements, and routine business matters. She also supports the HACR board of directors with the coordination of board-related events and conference calls.

Prior to joining HACR, Ruiz was File Clerk at Beermann, one of the largest family law firms in the State of Illinois. In this capacity, she was responsible for classifying sensitive information, converting documents to different formats, and carrying out inspections on the incoming material to verify the validity of the content.

Her interest in Diversity & Inclusion began during the summer of 2016 when she had the opportunity to intern with Bradley University, Office of Diversity & Inclusion. During her tenure, she organized cultural events and advocacy campaigns to engage and bring together the Bradley University and surrounding Peoria communities. One of her proudest achievements was developing the 1st annual Hispanic Heritage Month calendar by leading a committee of faculty and organizations to create events on celebrating the Hispanic culture.

Additionally, Ruiz held internship positions in the media and public relations field for Nuestra Tele Noticias 24 Horas (NTN24) and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation.

She graduated in May 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and Spanish from Bradley University.

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Andrea Urbina-Franco

Director of Communications

Andrea Urbina-Franco joined the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR) team as Director of Communications in April 2018. Franco is responsible for HACR’s strategic communications and marketing, which support the organization’s efforts to accomplish its mission of promoting Hispanic inclusion in Corporate America.

Throughout her career, she has implemented inbound and outbound marketing strategies. She acquired work experience in New York City, Washington, DC, and London working for technology, banking, non-profit and government sectors.

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Mayra Espinoza

Vice President of Programs and Events

Mayra Espinoza join the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR) team as Vice President of Programs and Events in January 2018.

Prior to joining HACR, Espinoza was the Senior Program Manager of The Executive Leadership Council (ELC) where she was responsible for coordinating and managing senior level corporate executive programs, managing the new member selection process, providing overall member services to C-Suite executive level members and supporting the program development of The ELC’s Scholarship Programs.

Additionally, Espinoza has held roles in higher education including Assistant Director of the Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities, Coordinator for Student Programs of the Center for Student Engagement, Program Coordinator for the Multicultural Student Services Center at The George Washington University, and Counselor for the Upward Bound Program at The University of Maryland, College Park.

Espinoza earned her bachelor’s degree in human services and counseling from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., and her master’s degree in higher education administration from The George Washington University.

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Stephany Guachamin

Programs Associate

Stephany Guachamin Coyago joined the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR) team as Programs Associate in April 2018.

Prior to joining HACR, Stephany is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer from the highlands of Peru. Focusing on creating community youth leaders through the importance of higher education while successfully developing sustainable community projects. Stephany successfully helped shape youth leaders and many were first generation high school graduates and the first in their family to attend college. Passionate about community development she also served as an AmeriCorps Volunteer teaching student’s phonemic awareness to English Language Learners (ELL). Passionate about diversity and inclusion she is grateful for the life lessons and public service and excited to be part of the HACR team.

Stephany Guachamin Coyago was born and raised in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area and earned her bachelor’s degree in Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University.

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Diana E. Martinez

Director of Corporate Relations

Diana E. Martinez joined the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR) team as Director of Corporate Relations in March 2019. Her primary responsibility is managing relationships with HACR’s membership of Fortune 500 companies. She is responsible for guiding HACR’s strategy for fundraising and development activities. Martinez creates and implement strategies to meet fundraising goals including membership renewals, prospecting new members, member engagement, and creating new revenue streams. She works closing with corporate members to overall advance the inclusion of Hispanics in Corporate America and to build HACR’s visibility and impact.

Martinez comes from Dallas, TX with great experience in the corporate relations field. Most recently, having worked at Mercado369 and prior to that, LATINA Style Magazine where she managed corporate relations and external affairs with Fortune 500 companies and national partners. She also has a wealth of knowledge and experience from working in multiple sectors from small business, non-profit, and higher education.

In 2018 she was recognized as one of twelve young leaders across the nation by the Coors Light Líderes Program. The program highlights up-and-coming Latino leaders for their achievements, vision, and commitment to reach their aspirations and help their community prosper. Martinez is passionate about giving back to the community and empowering. She often volunteers with different organizations and currently serves as a Board of Director for the Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas (HWNT), as Vice Chair of Marketing.

Martinez received a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Tarleton State University where she also received her undergraduate degree; Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing, with a minor in Spanish.

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